Documentary aims to raise money to expand Indian Santa charity

Each year, children in south Louisiana's bayou communities are visited by a special Santa — one who wears a headdress instead of the traditional red cap.

Nikki BuskeyStaff Writer

Each year, children in south Louisiana's bayou communities are visited by a special Santa — one who wears a headdress instead of the traditional red cap.United Houma Nation Chief Thomas Dardar dons his regalia each year and drives countless miles along the bayous to make sure each child he visits has a toy for Christmas. He's now the subject of a documentary by two native Louisiana filmmakers that has been screened in festivals in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Alabama and San Francisco. The filmmakers, Rex New and David Lee, are hoping to work with the United Houma Nation to use their documentary to raise money to help sustain and expand the Indian Santa program.Last year, Indian Santa visited close to 1,500 children in nine communities affected by the 2010 Gulf oil spill. Sites include Lafitte, Golden Meadow, Grand Bois, Bayou Blue, Isle de Jean Charles, Montegut, Dularge and Dulac, with Dardar and his wife Noreen hitting the road for 14 hours at a time. This year, Dardar hopes to expand his efforts once again to include communities, such as Braithwaite, that were damaged by Hurricane Isaac in August.Indian Santa began in 1985 after Hurricane Juan caused widespread damage in Terrebonne Parish. Dardar's uncle, Joe Dardard, saw the need for something to help and pick up the spirits of families on Isle de Jean Charles, the Native American community he'd grown up in as a kid.“He took it upon himself, and he started the drive, got the toys, made the regalia and handed the toys out to the kids,” Dardar said.Indian Santa became a beloved tradition and expanded to include a number of bayou communities. After helping with the toy giveaway for a number of years, Joe Dardard passed the mantle of Indian Santa on to his nephew.The filmmakers were looking for their next project when a friend of New's, United Houma Nation member Adam Crapelle, suggested they look at the Indian Santa program.They met with Dardar and eventually ended up following him with their cameras on a number of Indian Santa visits.“You can tell how much it meant to people and how much people look forward to seeing him every year,” New said. Even in San Francisco, he said, he met a member of the United Houma Nation who said both she and her daughter had sat on Indian Santa's lap.“I didn't realize how important it was for people. But when you meet Chief, just talking to him, you can tell why people respect him so much. He cares so much for the people,” New said.Times have been tough in the bayou communities that Indian Santa visits each year. These communities have suffered from years of devastating storms. The oil spill, which closed and damaged fishing grounds, had a severe economic impact on many families that they're still recovering from.“The people are so resilient, and the money they do make has to go to repairs, kids' clothes, lunches and bills,” Dardar said. “The one gift you bring (the kids) is maybe the only gift they'll get this year. Once you give it to them and you see them smile, you're giving them the world right there.”That happiness spreads to their parents and grandparents, Dardar said.The filmmaking duo were initially just along to make the documentary but soon enough decided that they wanted to help the cause. So in addition to screening the documentary at film festivals, they've posted it online where it can reach thousands more people who might be inspired to contribute. You can see the documentary at www.indiegogo.com/indiansanta.“We're very thankful for the avenues we have to get donations because the need grows with every hurricane and disaster we have,” Noreen Dardar said.The Indian Santa program gets donations, including those from an annual Toys for Tots drive in Houma, but that effort only provides toys for Terrebonne Parish children. A number of other drives, donations, friends and family come together to make Indian Santa happen at stops outside of Terrebonne, with the Dardars sometimes paying out of pocket.Initially, Lee said, they set a fundraising limit of $500 to pay for toys beyond the ones that are donated. But less than two weeks after posting the documentary online, viewers had already chipped in $1,255.Lee said they're still raising money, and they hope to collect up to $2,000, enough to pay for Indian Santa for a few years.“It's incredible. (Dardar) has such a big picture for what he wants this to be,” Lee said. “We're trying to raise our goal of $2,000 so they can be funded for a few more years.”There will be a Toys for Tots drive that will benefit Indian Santa from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Houma Walmart at 1633 Martin Luther King Blvd.You can make monetary donations to an account set up for Indian Santa at any South Louisiana Bank location or online at www.indiegogo.com/indiansanta. You can also visit the Indian Santa Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IndianSantaLa.

Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.